PD Winter 2018.Flip FQSC-2

eBIKE
eBIKES
eBIKE
eBIKES
TEST
AMEGO
FREEDOM
BY YURI HRYCAJ
As one of the largest retailers of electric bicycles in the Canada, reach my front brake, as well as the Das-Kit LCD display. This shows your
Amego has launched many innovative renditions of its speed, trip distance and assist and battery levels, while it also features a
trekking, mountain, cargo and folding electric-bicycle lineups,
and the Amego Freedom is no different.
Putting the Freedom through its paces, I drained the battery to Level
built-in back light for early mornings or late evenings
After riding on the Amego Freedom for more than 700 kilometres 2 and did hill repeats on Ellis Avenue and the notorious Olympus Avenue
around Toronto, Ont., I found this bike to be an unbelievably fun, switchback. These hills are famous among the city’s roadie crowd and
effective way to travel about its congested city streets.
can cause even the fittest road riders to come to a
Simply put, the one-size-fits-most step-thru folding
bicycle is perfect for all-day city adventures. Featuring
six electronic pedal-assist settings, the Freedom comes
with a 350W Das-Kit geared rear-hub motor and is
powered by 480Wh Lithium-ion battery capable of
covering 90 kilometres on Level 1 assist. Everything
you could need while riding in the city is found on
this bike, as it comes with a front-suspension fork and
seatpost, alloy front and rear fenders, a rear rack
capable of holding 27kg, rear disc brakes and batterypowered
front and rear lights.
After using it as my daily commuter bike for a week,
Amego’s Freedom
is an effective
urban commuter
for fun city biking.
standstill. I was suitably impressed when the
Amego took me uphill at a whopping 27kphaverage
speed even while carrying my laptop bag
with approximately 15 lbs. of gear in it. Despite
gradients of upward of 20%, the electric motor
plugged along up the switchbacks and never
failed me.
Considering all this was done on a 20” folding
bike, I found the smaller, wider tires made the
ride zippier and suppler. Also key, the bike felt
really balanced. The battery is placed behind the
seat-tube, and I was unsure as to whether this
I was surprised to see that it still had enough battery to run a few extra would make it feel rear-heavy. But when I rose out of the saddle to
errands around the city. Riding at Level 6 or maximum pedal assist, I was punch up a few climbs, I didn’t feel off-balance or experience any sideto-side
able to average between 31-33kph, depending on how heavily I assisted
swaying.
the electrical motor. Initial seat and bar positioning were done very easily The only downside is that this ride weighs in at approximately 50 lbs.,
via a quick-release lever, so I was able to set my bike up and get on the road which can make it a bit more cumbersome to carry despite its portable
in less than a minute.
nature. My daily commute from Toronto’s South Etobicoke neighbourhood
On the right handlebar is access to the rear disc brakes, Shimano’s to the downtown core was easily handled, and I had a ton of fun doing it.
seven-speed grip shift, a bell and a throttle trigger to modulate the six At $1,599, the Amego Freedom is definitely an effective urban
electronic pedal-assist settings. With the throttle trigger, you can easily commuter. In Toronto’s chronic congestion, constant delays and
set the bike to lower levels and give a modulated pull of the trigger to seemingly insurmountable traffic, you may have found your best friend.
throttle yourself to a speed up to its max. On the left handlebar, I could For more information, visit www.amegoev.com.
40 PEDAL FALL/WINTER 2018 www.pedalmag.com